Appeal procedures

(a) An appeal to the IPEC must explain the reasoning and factual basis for the appeal. It must be received by email at [email protected] or another method specified on the FOIA page of IPEC's website within 90 calendar days of the date of the response. The appeal must be in writing, addressed to the FOIA Appeals Officer, Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, Executive Office of the President, Washington, DC 20503, Attn: Legal Advisor. The communication should clearly be labeled as a “Freedom of Information Act Appeal.”

(b) The FOIA Appeals Officer (the Legal Advisor or a designee) will decide the appeal within 20 working days. If the FOIA Appeals Officer denies an appeal in whole or in part, the written determination will contain the reason for the denial, the name and title of the person responsible for the denial, any FOIA exemptions applied, and the provisions for judicial review of the denial and ruling on appeal provided in 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4). The denial will also inform the requestor of the dispute resolution services offered by OGIS as a non-exclusive alternate to litigation. If IPEC agrees to participate in voluntary dispute resolution services provided by OGIS, it will actively engage as a partner to the process in an attempt to resolve the dispute.